by Michael Winter, USA TODAY

by Michael Winter, USA TODAY

A veteran Missouri officer deployed to Ferguson after the police slaying of Michael Brown has resigned for pointing an assault rifle at protesters and threatening to kill them.

Lt. Ray Albers, who worked for the St. Ann Police Department for 20 years, tendered his resignation Thursday after the city's Police Board of Commissioners recommended he resign or be fired, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

His actions, which included swearing at bystanders who asked for his name, were captured on video late on Aug. 19, and he was later suspended.

While saying he was not condoning Albers' behavior, Chief Aaron Jiminez told the paper that Albers' raising his semiautomatic weapon was "totally justifiable." He said that protesters had thrown urine and water at Albers and that he had seen someone with a gun and heard gunfire.

Albers reacted the way he did because he got scared as the crowd appeared to close in on him, the chief explained.

Nonetheless, Jiminez said, "I'm not condoning his behavior whatsoever. It's very hard because he is a good friend, he was a good boss. Altogether it's going to be a black eye on the city of St. Ann because he represented our department."

Meanwhile, an officer from another St. Louis-area department was fired Thursday after saying on Facebook that Ferguson protesters should be "put down like rabid dogs" and were "a burden on society and a blight on the community." He also said, "Where is a Muslim with a backpack when you need them?"

Glendale Officer Matthew Pappert had been suspended with pay Aug. 22 pending the outcome of an internal investigation, the city administrator said. He was not involved in the Ferguson policing.

In a statement Monday, Pappert said that he was "deeply remorseful" for his comments and "that his words were insensitive and hurtful."